My name is Tim O'Connell a video game designer specialising in GGI animation level design amd Lighting VFX. My main goal in the Video Game industry is to design and develop highly engaging experiences with deep messaging that can only be achieved by video games which simply can’t be done with film, theatre, music or books.
visit my Portfolio Website here:
http://www.wix.com/twoc46/timoconnell

Monday, 18 October 2010

Things didn’t turn out as I had planned for the week. For a start I have completely scraped my idea for a game based around Zero G platform/Puzzle game, sort of “Portal” meets Dead Space in which the player is placed in a Zero G environment and needs to traverse different obstacles and traps in order to reach their goal. To aid them they would be given tools like a mid-air break and a grapple.

On the meeting on Tuesday I pitched my idea to the rest of the class. I had originally put a video up on my facebook page to ask people if this was any good so a few people knew what I was planning. Time came and when I announced it not a major uproar of applause, no Ticker tape parade and no piles of naked women on top of a mountain of money. Well I might be getting off point; basically everyone had good and bad ideas.

A lot of people had already formed groups so if I was to have anyone on board pickings would be slim. After listening to everyone’s “Elevator pitches” I aloud my mind to choose which one held the most. I had no intention of doing this alone as I have heard many stories of people working on their own not even getting something out the door so to speak

The one game that stuck in my head was Charlotte Gyseman MC Esher FPS. The one thing that really got me interested was the abandoned building art style she had mentioned. I for one love that particular style not just in games but in art and films.

As for the game itself I'm finding coding very hard so I need to keep on working on that. on the Levels themselves I have one more map to go. It's been great experience and has really improved my Maya skill even if the models are simple as they can be.

Music wise I have gotten permission to use music from this great artist Named Kilton:http://soundcloud.com/urlyd-recordings.His songs sound amazing and fit so well with the game I can't wait to use them.

I have also made new posters here:More in game!

As for Uni work I'm a Littlebit unsure I have two ideas in my head either a Zero G puzzle game or a Music game for the Android/IPhone where you collect icons into baskets to complete a song.

As for my dissertation I want to have a look at marketing in games especially for the Halo series as during the realise of Halo Reach there were amazing marketing campaigns some viral and some more public. it might not be a bad thing to look at really because if it wasn't for Alfred Hitchcock's marketing for Psycho it might not of been the classic we know today.

I also went to Eurogamer Expo in London for the Friday, Got up at 5 in the morning just to get there. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be but I did have to wait an hour to play "Brink" (Which was worth it) unfortunately I didn't get a looking with my portfolio but I got some great advice from the guys over at Rare. Apart from "Brink" I enjoyed playing Need For Speed Hot Pursuit and Crysis 2. I played others but those three were the best.

So one more Year then I have to work. I have no idea what is going to happen but as I always say...